Basic Home Networking and File Sharing

8/7/2019 Basic Home Networking and File Sharing

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Certificate Course in Computer networking

(Basic Networking in Windows XP and Windows 7, Wireless Network, Cabling, IP Addressing, NetworkSharing and Security, Internet, Active Directory and Email Server in Windows Server 2003)


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Basic Networking

connecting computers together to share information, has long been one of the more difficult areas ofbasic computing to get a grasp on, mainly because it is one of those points at which the generally friendlyuser interface of your average Windows box starts showing cracks, or possibly gaping holes ready toswallow up the unsuspecting user.

Now granted, since windows 98 started the process, Microsoft's OSs have been getting progressively betterat automating the process of connecting computers together, but there is still the external setuprequired, and if something goes wrong... well it's good to know where to look to fix it.

The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, to enable you to set up your own home network and sharefiles between your computers, and second to make you comfortable with basic computer networkingterminology and practice. Internet sharing deserves its own article, and so is not part of this one.

First, some important terms. Skip them if you know them.

Ethernet Network adaptor: An internal device that allows computers to communicate with each other viaelectrical signals passed through cable. Also known as a NIC (Network Interface Card).

Hub: An external device with multiple connections (ports). A computer attached to one port cancommunicate with computers attached to any of the other ports. They are available in many sizes, mostcommonly 5 ports.

Switch: Similar to a hub, but more efficient. While a hub will send data it receives from one port out allits other ports and let the computers attached to it figure out who the data is intended for, a switchstores information about the computers connected to it, then sends data only to the computer it isaddressed to.

Firewall: A term for a software program or hardware device which can restrict specific kinds of data frompassing into (or in some cases, out of) your network from the internet. Used for security purposes.

Cable/DSL router: Network devices which combine the functions of a switch and a firewall. They alsoprovide the ability to easily share a DSL or cable Internet connection.

Basic Windows networking principals

By default, all Windows operating systems use the TCP/IP protocol suite to communicate with each otherthrough network devices. Any computer network adaptor using TCP/IP requires 3 things to communicatewith other computers: An IP address, a subnet mask for that IP address, and a default gateway. Theseterms will be defined in a moment. First, though, an idea of how a TCP/IP network works logically.

When you give a computer an IP address, you identify the network which it is a member of, and give it anidentification number within that network. A computer in a given network can communicate with anyother computer that is local to it (in the same network), provided there is a way for information to passbetween them (network cables, wireless network, etc.).

Computers in a network cannot, however, communicate with computers in a different network (remotenetwork) directly, even if they are physically connected to each other via cables.

This is where the default gateway comes in. A gateway is defined as a path out of the local network toother remote networks. A gateway can be a number of things physically, such as a DSL/cable router foryour local network, a Windows server computer with multiple network adaptors split between differentnetworks, etc. Gateways must all share one thing in common though. They are connected to at least 2networks, and have the ability to pass traffic between them.


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The default gateway assigned to a network adaptor is sent all traffic that does not belong in the localnetwork. As an example of this, say you have a DSL Internet connection. When you connect to theInternet, you are provided with a default gateway assigned by your service provider. When you attempt toconnect to a site on the Internet, the URL you type in (say www.pcstats.com) is converted into an IPaddress by your Internet provider.

Since this address is not going to be in your local network, the network adaptor in your computer forwards

the request for the web page to its default gateway, your service provider.

From that point, your request will be passed from network to network through the internet until itreaches the local network of www.pcstats.com and the data needed to display the web page starts itsway back through the internet to your IP address.

IP Addresses and what they represent

An IP Address is 4 sets of decimal numbers, 0-255, separated by periods (for example, 192.168.255.251)which form the address of a computer on the internet or within a local network, and allow it to bereferenced by other computers.

An IP address consists of two parts, a network portion and a host portion.

Within a single network, for example the one you are about to set up, all computers will have identicalnetwork portions. In order for two computers to communicate with each other directly, they must be inthe same network, and thus have identical network portions of their IP addresses.

The host portion of an IP address indicates a computer's unique identifier within its network. Everycomputer on a given network must have a unique host portion in order to communicate with othercomputers in the same network.

An IP address is always accompanied by a subnet mask, which separates the network and host portions ofthe IP address. A subnet mask is shown in the same format as the IP address (for example 255.255.255.0).As far as this article is concerned, assume that the values of the 4 sets of numbers in the subnet mask canbe either 0 or 255.

Sets with the value of 0 indicate the host portion of the IP address, and sets with the value of 255indicate the network portion. For example, with an IP address of 192.168.3.25 and a subnet mask of255.255.255.0, the network portion of the address would be '192.168.3', and the host portion would be'.25'. This means the computer assigned this address is host 25 within the 192.168.3 network.

Setting up your own home network

1. An Ethernet-based network adaptor installed in each computer. If you are not sure if you have one ornot, see the picture below and check the back of your computers for a similar interface. If you havepurchased them separately, see the section below entitled Installing Network CardDrivers for details.


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Also, if you are not planning to use a hub or switch device to connect your computers, you will need twonetwork cards in one of the computer systems.

2. Appropriate networking cables: Since we are assuming you have Ethernet cards, you will need eitherStraight-through or crossover Cat 5 Ethernet cable. Any computer store will have them available in avariety of lengths.

Straight through is they type used with a hub or router, while crossover is used for connecting twocomputers together directly. If you have the necessary equipment (RJ45 crimpers, cable tester) to makeyour own cables, this PCstats guide will explain the process for you. At the very least, our guide offers auseful footnote on the differences between Straight-through and Crossover Cat 5 Ethernet cables.

3. An active connection to the Internet. Cable, DSL or dialup.

4. An Ethernet hub/switch is not required (unless you have more than two computers), but isrecommended, since it will enable you to expand your new home network beyond two computers in thefuture.

5. A Cable/DSL router is also recommended, and is probably the simplest way to set go in order to set upa home network. These devices act as switches and enable you to share an Internet connection simply,

without needing to leave one of your computers on constantly in order for the others to access theInternet through it. They also provide basic, but effective firewall protection for your network.

Setting up a Network - WinXP

For Windows XP computers, open the start menu, then open 'my computer' and right click the 'my networkplaces' option on the left of the screen under 'other places', and select 'properties.'

You will see a window entitled 'network connections' which will contain an icon for each network adaptorpresent in your machine. By default, these will be named 'Local Area Connection 1', 'local area connection2', etc.

Right click 'local area connection 1' and select 'properties', then highlight 'internet protocol (TCP/IP)' and

select properties again.Ensure that the option 'Obtain an IP address automatically' is selected, then clickok, and ok again.Repeat for each 'local area connection #' on your computer.

Now right click the 'my computer' icon on the start menu and select 'properties', then the ''computername' tab.

Make a note of the computer name and workgroup name for each computer. These are used to identifythe computer over the network. If you wish to rename any of the computers, this is a good time to do it,using the 'change' button. Having all the computers in the same workgroup is not essential, but it doesreduce confusion. All Microsoft computers are members of the workgroup 'workgroup' by default.

Now select 'run' from the start menu and type '\\{computername}' where computername is the name ofone of the other computers in your network. If all is as it should be, a window will open up showing allshared resources on that computer, by default 'printers and faxes' and 'scheduled tasks'.

Test this for all computers on the network as we have previously mentioned. You have now eithernetworked your computers together successfully, or are staring at the screen in frustration. Pleaseproceed to either the Sharing Files section or the Troubleshooting section respectively.

Sharing files across the network

Now that you have connected your home computers, you may wish to make certain files availablebetween the two computers over the network. This is a simple enough procedure.


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Windows 98 Important note: Unlike Windows 2000 and XP, Windows 98 has no real form ofauthentication security. This means that a Windows 98 computer with an Internet connection and nofirewall is essentially open to being browsed by any remote user who discovers your IP address. Now, thisis mitigated somewhat by the fact that 98 does not share any files by default, so there will be nothing toaccess. However, once you start sharing drives and folders, be aware that anything you share isvulnerable to being accessed from the Internet, assuming you have a high-speed connection.

Open 'My Computer' Browse to the drive or folder that you wish to share. Note: you may only share drivesor folders/directories, not individual files. There's nothing to stop you creating a new directory for asingle file and sharing that out though.

Right click the drive or folder and select 'sharing.'Select the 'shared as' option.

Enter the share name you would like to use. This how the shared resource will be named when viewedfrom another computer. Select the type of access you would like to allow.

Read-onlyallows network users permission to read and copy files in the shared directory, but not todelete them, save changes to them or add new ones. Full access gives permissions just like a local user. Ifyou like, you can assign passwords for either the read-only or full access modes. Click 'ok

Sharing files with WinXP

WinXP Important note: By default, Windows XP Professional (not Home Edition) installs a hidden sharefor EVERY drive. This means that every file on your XP computer can potentially be accessed from thenetwork or the Internet. Since XP Professional was designed to be used in a business networkenvironment, these shares were intended to allow a network administrator to access important filesremotely. Only members of the Administrators group on your computer can access these shares.

Of course, the users created during the Windows XP install are members of the Administrators group...And they do not have passwords until you assign them manually.

Fortunately, unlike Windows 2000, XP does not allow remote file sharing by default, so you are notvulnerable until you enable this. If you intend to share files with other computers on your network,ensure that every account you have created has a password.

This can be done through the control panel/user accounts. It is also a good idea to change the name ofthe administrator account, since everyone knows that 'administrator' is the default user name for Windows2000/XP.

To enable sharing in Windows XP first open 'My Computer' and browse to the drive or directory you wish toshare. Right click the drive or directory and select 'sharing and security.' Under 'network sharing andsecurity' select the 'enable sharing of files without running the network wizard' option. Select 'share thisfolder/drive on the network'

Share name specifies the name that will appear for the share on remote computers. Check the 'allownetwork users to change my files' box if you want remote users to be able to add, delete or modify fileswithin the folder or drive. By default it is unchecked, giving read-only access. Click ok.

Troubleshooting Section

If you are having trouble connecting using the default settings, the first, and best step you can take is todouble-check all the settings, restart the computers in your network, and try again. Failing this, it's timeto get under the hood a bit. Perform these steps on all computers in the network.

Open the start menu, select run and type 'cmd' to open the command prompt window. (On Windows98/ME select 'ms-dos prompt' from the 'programs' menu.) Now type 'ipconfig /all' This will give you your


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Sharing filesPublished: August 15, 2006If you have multiple computers in your home and they are connected through a home network, you canshare files among your computers. That means you no longer have to copy files to a floppy disk or USBflash drive to transfer them to another computer. Once you configure your computer to share files, you(or another user with the appropriate permissions) can, by using Windows Explorer, open them from othercomputers connected to the network, just like youd open files that are stored on a single computer. You

can also choose to have folders visiblebut not modifiablefrom other computers on the network.To share files on your computer with other computers on a network, you need to: Share a folder on your computer. This will make all of the files in the folder available to all the

computers on your network (you cant share individual files). Set up user accounts on your computer for everyone who needs to connect to your shared folder. If any

of the accounts are Limited User accounts (unless an account is a Computer Administrator account, it isa Limited User account), follow the steps in Set permissions for files and folders to enable them to openyour files.

To access shared files that are on another computer on your network, you need to: Connect to the shared folder from other computers on the network. This procedure is described in Map a

network drive.Note: By default, file permissions only allow your user account and administrators on your local computerto open your files, regardless of whether a person is sitting at your keyboard or at another computer. Itmay help to keep these three things in mind when setting up file sharing: Files have user permission settings.

Every computer has its own user database. Some accounts are administrator accounts and some arent.

Configure your computer to share files

To share a folder on your computer so that files stored in the folder can be accessed from othercomputers on your home network1.Log on to your computer as an administrator. For more information, see Access the administrator

account from the Welcome screen.2.Click Start, and then click My Documents.

3.Right-click the folder that you want to share, and then click Sharing and Security.


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Tip: If you want to share your entire My Documents folder, open My Documents, and then click the Upbutton on the toolbar. You can then select the My Documents folder.

4.If you see a message that reads, As a security measure, Windows has disabled remote access to thiscomputer, click the Network Setup Wizard link. Then follow the instructions in How to set up yourcomputer for home networking. On the File and printer sharing page of the Network Setup Wizard, besure to select Turn on file and printer sharing. If you do not see this message, skip this step and go tostep 5.

Note: If you do not see the Network Setup Wizard link or the Share this folder on the network checkbox, your computer probably has Simple File Sharing disabled. This is a common change made tocomputers used for business. In fact, it happens automatically when a computer joins an ActiveDirectory domain. You should follow these instructions to share a folder instead.

5.In the Properties dialog box, select the Share this folder on the network check box.


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6.If you want to be able to edit your files from any computer on your network (instead of just being ableto open them without saving any changes), select the Allow network users to change my files checkbox.

7.Click OK.


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Windows Explorer will show a hand holding the folder icon, indicating that the folder is now shared.

To connect to the shared folder from another computer, follow the steps described in How to map anetwork drive.Note: By default, only you and other people with an administrator account on the computer sharing thefolder will be able to open your files. To limit access of specific users with an administrator account onthe computer sharing the folder, read How to set permissions for files and folders.

Mapping a network drivePublished: August 15, 2006Moving files between computers on a floppy disk (the so-called "sneakernet") is a thing of the past. If youhave more than one computer in your home, you can share files across your home network. Shared foldersfrom other computers appear in Windows Explorer just as if they were on the computer you're using.Sharing files is a two-step process:1.Share a folder on the computer that stores your files. This step is described in Sharing files.2.Create a connection to the shared folder on the computer that you want to use to open the files. You

can connect to the shared folder in two ways:

You can directly open the shared folder. This is the quickest way to get to your shared files.

or You can map a drive letter to the shared folder. This way makes it easier to open the folder in the

future.

The steps for both of these ways to connect to a shared folder on another computer on your homenetwork are described below.

Open a shared folder

1.On your desktop, double-click My Network Places.

Note: IfMy Network Places is not on your desktop, click Start, and then click My Network Places onthe Start menu.


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2.In My Network Places, double-click the folder you want to open.

You'll see your files in the folder.

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Map a drive to a shared folder

1.Click Start, and then click My Documents.


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2.Click the Tools menu, and then click Map Network Drive.

3.In the Map Network Drive dialog box, click Browse.


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4.In the Browse For Folder dialog box, click the folder you want to connect to, and then click OK.

5.In the Map Network Drive dialog box, make a note of the drive letter shown, and then click Finish.

6.If prompted, type your user name and password, and then click OK.Microsoft Windows XP will open a folder to your shared files. In the future, you can open the shared folderfrom My Computer by clicking the appropriate drive letter.


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Get started using Remote Desktop with Windows XP ProfessionalUpdated: July 25, 2006Imagine that you recently started a small business and are trying to build your client basesalespeopleout on the road every day, working on getting new business. You don't want your salespeople to be leftwithout documents they need while meeting with important clients. You can empower your employees tohave important data at their fingertips, at all times.

Remote Desktop, included with Windows XP Professional, enables you to connect to your computer acrossthe Internet from virtually any computer, Pocket PC, or Smartphone. Once connected, Remote Desktopgives you mouse and keyboard control over your computer while showing you everything that's happeningon the screen. With Remote Desktop, you can leave your computer at the office without losing access toyour files, applications, and e-mail. Your sales force will be able to access the latest pricing sheet fromon the road by using Remote Desktop in Windows XP Professional.

To use Remote Desktop

With Remote Desktop, you can connect to your work computer from home and access all of yourprograms, files, and network resources as though you were actually sitting in front of your computer atwork.

You need three things to create a remote location:1.Microsoft Windows XP Professional must be installed on the computer containing the files and programs

that you want to access from a remote computer. The computer must also be part of a corporatenetwork in which Remote Desktop connections are permitted. This computer is known as the host.

2.The remote computer must be running Windows 95 or later. This computer must also have the RemoteDesktop Connection client software installed. The remote computer is known as the client.

3.Both computers must be connected to the Internet through a VPN connection.

Note: If you're not connecting to the host computer through a VPN, you'll need to use the actual IPaddress of the host computer instead of the computer name.

To set up the Remote Desktop, start with the host computer, which in this example is your workcomputer.1.Verify that you are signed in as the administrator.2. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Performance and Maintenance.

3. Click System.


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4. Click the Remote tab, select the Allow users to connect remotely to this computer check box, andthen click OK.

Next, make sure you have Windows Firewall set up to allow exceptions.1. In the Control Panel, click Security Center.


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2. Under Manage security settings for, click Windows Firewall.

3. Make sure the Don't allow exceptions check box is not selected.

4. Click the Exceptions tab, and verify that the Remote Desktop check box is selected.


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5.Click OK, and then close the Windows Security Center window.Your host computer is now set up to allow remote access.

You will need the name of the host computer.6. In Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, click System, and then click the Computer

Name tab.

7.Write down the full computer name, and then click OK.8.Close Control Panel.9.Leave this computer running, locked, and connected to the corporate network with Internet access.

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Connect your remote computer to the host computer


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To connect your home computer, which is the client (or remote) computer to your work (or host)computer, follow these steps:1.On your home computer, click Start, point to All Programs, and then point to Accessories.2.In the Accessories menu, point to Communications, and then click Remote Desktop Connection.3. In the Computer box, type the computer name of your host computer, which you wrote down earlier.

4.Click Connect.5. When the Log On to Windows dialog box appears, type your user name, password, and domain (if

required), and then click OK.

The Remote Desktop window opens, and you see the desktop settings, files, and programs that are onyour host computer, which in this example is your work computer. Your host computer remains locked,and nobody can access it without a password. In addition, no one will be able to see the work you are

doing remotely.To end your Remote Desktop session:1.Click Start, and then click Log Offat the bottom of the Start menu.2. When prompted, click Log Off.


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Troubleshooting network connection problemsPublished: August 15, 2006Depending on how elaborate they are, home networks can be complicated. Unfortunately, because of thiscomplexity, problems occasionally happen. Fortunately, you can usually solve these problems yourself. Inmost cases, finding the problem is a matter of going through a series of steps to eliminate potential issuesone by one until you find the source of the problem. This article walks you through isolating yourproblem, troubleshooting the problem, and, if necessary, contacting the right organization for support.

If you are setting up your home network for the first time, refer to Set up a wired network or Set up awireless network. The guidance in this article assumes that you were previously able to use your network,although the information here might be useful for troubleshooting setup problems, too.

How to isolate networking problems

People who work with networks think of them in terms of layers. These layers include the Internet, yourmodem and router, and the computer (or computers) on your network. To troubleshoot a problemeffectively, you must first identify which network layer is causing the problem. The following diagramshows the different layers that might be the cause of a problem.

Although you can fix most problems yourself, if you can't fix a problem, it's helpful to know which layer iscausing it so that you can contact the right organization for support.

To identify which layer is causing the problem1.Click Start, and then click Control Panel.


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installed. Uninstall the driver and network adapter as described in Troubleshoot device driver problems.Then reinstall the network adapter according to the manufacturer's instructions or by following theinstructions in Install a network adapter.

Windows XP says your network adapter is unplugged

If Microsoft Windows XP indicates that your network adapter is unplugged, it could be because of severaldifferent problems. Follow these steps to troubleshoot the problem. (You can stop following the steps ifyour network connection starts to work.)1.Verify that both ends of the network cable are properly connected, as described in Set up a wired

network.2.If the cable is properly connected, verify that your modem and router are plugged in and turned on.3.If you have more than one network port available in your router, plug the cable into a different port. If

the network connection works, the original port on your router is faulty. However, you can continue touse the other ports.

4.Replace the network cable with a new cable. You might have a faulty network cable.5.The network adapter on your computer might have failed. If possible, connect a different computer to

the same network cable. If the connection works, the problem is with your network adapter. Contactyour computer manufacturer for support, or install a new network adapter. If the new computer alsofails to connect and you have already tried a new network cable, your network hardware (the deviceyou connect the network cable to) has failed. Contact technical support for the network hardware, orreplace it.

After following these steps, you should have identified the problem as your computer's network adapter,the network cable, or your network equipment, and then either replaced or repaired the failed device.

Windows XP says your network adapter has limited or no connectivity

If Windows XP says your network adapter has limited or no connectivity, it could be due to severaldifferent problems, including a failed Internet connection, a misconfigured router, or a misconfigurednetwork adapter. Follow these steps to troubleshoot the problem. (You can stop following the steps ifyour network connection starts to work.)1.In the Network Connections window, right-click your network adapter, and then click Repair. For

detailed instructions, read Repairing network connections.2.Unplug your modem. If you are unsure which device might be your modem, it is the device that is

connected directly to your phone line (if you have DSL) or cable connection (if you have a cablemodem). Wait one minute, and then plug your modem back in again.

3.If you have a router connected to your modem, unplug it. If you are unsure which device might be yourrouter, look for the device that has at least two network cables: one that connects to your modem; andanother that connects to your computer. You may also have a wireless router, which would beconnected to your modem and would have one or more antennas. Wait one minute, and then plug yourrouter back in again.

4.Restart your computer.5.If your network adapter still shows "Limited or no connectivity" and you have customized your router's

configuration, verify that the router has DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) enabled. EnableDHCP, and then restart your computer. DHCP automatically assigns an Internet Protocol (IP) address toyour computer, which uniquely identifies your computer on your network. For instructions on how toenable DHCP for your router, refer to your router's documentation.

6.If you are using a router, unplug the network cable that connects your modem to your router, andconnect your computer directly to your modem. Then restart your computer. If your computer connectsproperly after restarting, the problem is with your router. Contact your router manufacturer forsupport.

7.If your network adapter still indicates "Limited or no connectivity" when your computer is connecteddirectly to your modem, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) for support. To speed up thetroubleshooting process, describe the steps you have already taken, including restarting your modem,router, and computer, and connecting your computer directly to your modem. The "Limited or noconnectivity" error message indicates that your computer is properly connected to your home network;however, the ISP's DHCP server is not assigning it an IP address. This problem could be caused by afailed DHCP server on the ISP's network, a failed modem, or a problem with your Internet connection.Alternatively, the ISP may require you to use a "static" IP address, which only its support staff can help


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you configure.After following these steps, you should have identified the problem as your router, your modem, or yourInternet connection, and then either reconfigured or repaired the failed component.

Windows XP says your network adapter is connected, but you can't reach the Internet

If you reached this section, your computer is probably connected to your home network properly, butthere is a failure with your router, modem, or Internet connection. In this case:1.First, verify that you can't reach the Internet. Start Microsoft Internet Explorer, and attempt to connect

to the following Web sites: www.microsoft.com, www.msn.com, and www.windowsmarketplace.com. Ifany of the Web sites open correctly, your Internet connection is functioning properly. If all of the Websites fail to open, continue following these steps.

2.Unplug your modem. If you are unsure which device might be your modem, it is the device that isconnected directly to your phone line (if you have DSL) or cable connection (if you have a cablemodem). Wait one minute, and then plug your modem back in again.

3.If you have a router connected to your modem, unplug it. If you are unsure which device might be yourrouter, look for the device that is connected directly to your modem. Wait one minute, and then plugyour router back in again.

4.Restart your computer.5.If you have more than one computer on your network, turn the other computers off. Also, close any

network applications that you might have open, including file sharing and peer-to-peer applications.These applications can consume so much bandwidth that they might prevent you from being able tobrowse the Web. Repeat step 1 to retest your Internet connection. If the connection works now, theproblem is that one of your applications is consuming too much of your Internet bandwidth orattempting to connect to too many different computers. Close the application, or configure it to useless bandwidth or fewer connections.

6.If you have previously configured your computer with a static IP address (for example, to connect toyour office network), you probably need an automatic IP address at home. Fortunately, you canconfigure Windows XP to use both by following the steps in Automatic configuration for multiplenetworks.

7.If you are using a router, unplug the network cable that connects your modem to your router, andconnect your computer directly to your modem. Then restart your computer. If your computer connectsproperly after restarting, the problem is with your router. Contact your router manufacturer forsupport.

8.If possible, connect a different computer to your modem, and attempt to access the Internet. If the

computer is able to access the Internet, you might have a problem with your Web browser. Contact yourcomputer manufacturer for support.

9.Your modem or your Internet connection has failed. To resolve the problem, contact your ISP technicalsupport. To speed up the troubleshooting process, describe the steps you have already taken, includingrestarting your modem, router, and computer, and connecting your computer directly to your modem.

After following these steps, you should have identified the problem as your router, modem, Internetconnection, or Web browser, and then either reconfigured or repaired the failed component.

Windows 2003 Active Directory Setup

When you installed Windows Server 2003 Manage Your Server window is displayed every time you start-up the system, unless you have checked dont display this page at logon option.


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Click on Next. The Welcome to the Active Directory Installation Wizard window will come up:

Click Next. The Operating System Compatibility window will show up:


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If you dont have operating systems older than windows 2000 on your network, you can safely click nexton this window, otherwise make a pause and think if its worth upgrading older operating systems on yournetwork to a windows server 2003 compatible domain controller.

On the next screen, you need to choose your Domain Controller type:

Select Domain controller for a new domain, and click next. On the next screen, you will need to selectthe type of domain to create:

Select the first option Domain in a new forest then click next. Next, you will need to specify thedomain name:


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Type your domain name, preferably with the local prefix at the end, that is just to differentiatebetween your domain name and your Internet domain.

Click next. Next, you will need to specify the NetBIOs name. This NetBIOS name wil help old computersusing old windows operating systems to find the domain on the network:

Accept the default name, click next. Next, you will need to specify the location of the database and logfolders:


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Choose the location, otherwise accept the defaults and click next. Next, you need to choose the SharedSystem Volume:

Choose your location, otherwise click next.Next, you will need to configure DNS, remember DNS isrequired for Active Directory to run:


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You most likely will get the warning Diagnostic failed on this window, dont worry is normal. Thishappened because DNS is not configured on this computer. Choose the second option Install and

configure the DNS server on this computer, and set this computer to use this DNS server as itspreferred DNS server, and click Next.

On the next window you will need to choose the default permissions for user and group objects:

Select the second option. You want only authenticated users to read information on your domain. Clicknext.

Next, you will need to type the directory Services Restore mode Administrator password. Rememberthis password is different from the built-in administrator domain account:


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Type the password and click Next. Lastly, you will get the summary window:

Click Next. The installation on Active Directory should start. After a few minutes, you will get the Finishwindow. Click on Finish and restart the computer:


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After the computer restarts, active directory should be setup on the server. remember that your domain

administrator account password, should be the same as the local administrator password you had beforeinstalling active directory.

After rebooting the computer, this window will come up. now your server is a domain controller. Enjoy.

Install and Configure the Email Server in Windows Server 2003 + Outlook Express

Introduction

This tutorial will help you to install and set up a few email accounts, by using the built-in POP3 Service inWindows Server 2003. I will assume you have basic knowledge about the Windows Server family and MailServers, but I have tried to make this tutorial as easily comprehensible as possible. The tutorial has beentested on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition but should also work on Windows Server 2003 StandardEdition. I will not cover MX records and other similar things in this release.

To follow this tutorial you need a stand alone server. You can of course use a Domain Controller, but thatassumes you understand when to not follow the tutorial and use other settings (i.e. authenticationmethod).


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Install the Email Server

You can install the Email Server by using Add or Remove Windows Components or Manage Your Server.In this tutorial we will use the latter, because its the quickest way to get this up and running. ManageYour Server is a bit easier to use too, because it will prompt you for the domain you want to use duringsetup. That will not Add or Remove Windows Components do, and we have to do everything manually.If its not open, start Manage Your Server by clicking Start->Programs->Administrative Tools->Manage

Your Server.

Click on Add or remove a role.

This will start the Configure Your Server Wizard. Read the text and make sure you have connected allthe necessary cables and all the other things it says you should do before continuing.

Click Next


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The wizard will now detect your network settings. This will take a while depending on how many networkconnections you haveWe now come to the step where we add and remove roles for our server. We will add the Mail Server role.I also suggest that before you click Next, click Read about mail servers because this tutorial is not acomplete reference.

Click Mail server (POP3, SMTP)

Click Next

You will now specify the type of authentication and type the email domain name. In this tutorial we willuse Windows Authentication, and I will use my domain name, ilopia.com. You should of course use yourdomain name.

Click Next

Next step is to confirm the options you have selected.


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This method works by creating an encrypted file stored in each users mailbox. This file containsthe password for the user. When the user wants to check his/her email, the password that theuser supplies is encrypted and compared to the one in the file.It is possible to migrate Encrypted File user accounts to AD user accounts.

Server PortI strongly recommend that you use port 110 because this is the standard port for the POP3 protocol. If you

change this, make sure you notify all users so they can configure their email clients to use this other port.Also make sure you restart the POP3 service if you change this.Logging LevelFour options to choose between. If you change this, remember that you must restart the POP3 service.

NoneNothing is logged.

LowOnly critical events are logged.

MediumBoth critical and warning events are logged.

HighCritical, warning and informational events are logged.

Root Mail DirectoryIf you dont want to use the default Mail Directory, you can choose another one. Make sure the path is notmore than 260 characters and you can also not store to the root of a partition (i.e. C:). It is stronglyrecommended that you use a NTFS formatted partition. You cant use a mapped drive, but the UNC name(\\servername\share) can be used. If you later change the store, and there are still emails in one or moreboxes, you must manually move the folders in which there are emails to the new location. You must alsoreset the permissions on the directory by using winpop set mailroot.SPAEnable SPA if you want to have a secure communication between your email sever and email clients. Thiswill send both the user name and password encrypted from the client to the server, instead of sending itin clear text. SPA supports only Local Windows Accounts and Active Directory IntegratedAuthentication. It is recommended to use this. Remember to restart the POP3 service if you change this.Create a mailboxThe Setup Wizard created a domain to us, so we do not need to create this manually. If you did not use

Manage Your Server to install, add the domain manually be clicking the server name in the left pane andthen click New domain in the right pane. Remember to set the properties before you add the domain.

Click on your domain (ilopia.com in my case) in the left pane.

Click Add Mailbox in the right pane.

This will open up the Add Mailbox window.

Write bob in Mailbox Name

Write bob as password (of course this is not a password you should use in a productionenvironment, its too short)

Click OK


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A message will pop-up and tell you how to configure the email clients. Read this, and notice thedifference when using SPA or not.

Click OK

What we just did was not only creating a mailbox named bob, but we also created a user bob. We willalso create a mailbox for an existing user - ariel. To do that we simply perform the same steps, but weuncheck Create associated user for this mailbox. Remember that the mailbox name must be less then 21characters (64 for Encrypted Password File and Active Directory). Periods are allowed to use, but not asthe first or last character.So, we have now two users. Are they equally? No, bob is a member of the POP3 Users group, which isdenied to logon locally. Ariel is not member of this group, and can still logon locally and access hermailbox.Configure the SMTP ServerActually, thats it! It is this simple to configure the POP3 part. But it is not yet working as we want, wehave to configure the SMTP part to be able to receive and send emails. Yes, I said receive emails. Acommon mistake is to think that the POP3 server receives the emails. But that is not true, all the POP3 isdoing is pop the emails out to the clients. Its the SMTP server that is communicating with other SMTPservers and receives and sends emails.

Open Computer Management

Expand Services and Applications, expand Internet Information Service

Right click Default SMTP Virtual Server and click Properties

Click the Access tab

Click the Authentication button and make sure Anonymous Access and Integrated WindowsAuthentication is enabled.

Click the Relay button and make sure Allow all computers which successfully... is enabled andOnly the list below is selected.

First of all, Authentication and Relay is not the same thing. We use the Authentication button to specifywhich authentications methods are allowed for users and other SMTP servers. So enabling Anonymous hereis not a security issue, in fact, its required if we want our server to be able to receive emails from otherservers on Internet (I doubt you want to tell all administrators of email servers on Internet how they

should logon to yours). We also need Windows Authentication so the email clients can authenticate to theserver and be able to relay (send emails).As Relay Restrictions we selected Only the list below because we do not want to be used by spammers tosend emails. But we never specified any computers. That is valid, because we wants our clients to alwaysuse the username and password to authenticate, no matter where they are.If you want users to only be allowed to relay if they are on a private network, then you can uncheckWindows Authentication as allowed authentication method, and specify the IP range for your network inthe Relay Restrictions window.Is that all? Do we have a working email server now? Well, the answer is yes. But we still haventconfigured the email clients.


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Configure the email clientWe will use Outlook Express as email client.

Start Outlook Express (any computer that is connected to the email server)

Click Tools and then Accounts

Click the Add button and select Mail

A wizard starts. Use the following table to complete the wizard:

Display name Bob

E-mail address bob@ ([email protected])

Incoming mail server is a POP3

Incoming mail server (ilopia.com)

Outgoing mail server (ilopia.com)

Account name bob@ ([email protected])

Password bob

Remember Password Checked

SPA Unchecked

Are we finished now? Well, let us try to send an email. Didnt work, did it? Im sure you got an errormessage similar to this one:The message could not be sent because one of the recipients was rejected by the server. The rejected e-mail address was '[email protected]'. Subject 'Test', Account: 'ilopia.com', Server: 'ilopia.com',Protocol: SMTP, Server Response: '550 5.7.1 Unable to relay for [email protected]', Port: 25,Secure(SSL): No, Server Error: 550, Error Number: 0x800CCC79The reason why we got this is written in the error message. Unable to relay for . Thismeans that we didnt get authenticated to the SMTP server. So, let us take a look at the email clientssettings again.

Click Tools, then Accounts.

This will bring up this window:

Click the correct account and then the Properties button Click the Servers tab

In the Outgoing Mail Server section enable My server requires authentication.

Click Apply, click OK, click Close

Create a new email, and send it

And hopefully you will receive an email within some minutes (if you sent it to your own email account).Enable SPA


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Of course we want our network as secure as possible, so we prefer to use SPA (Secure PasswordAuthentication). This will, as stated before, send the user name and password from the client encrypted,instead of clear text.

Click Start, then Run

Type p3server.msc

In the right pane, right click your computers name and click Properties Check the box Require Secure Password Authentication...

Click OK

You will be prompted to restart the Microsoft POP3 Service, click Yes

We must also change some settings for the email clients.

Start Outlook Express

Click Tools, click Accounts

Click the Mail tab, click the name of your email account, click Properties

Click the Servers tab, and click Log on using Secure Password Authentication

Change the account name from bob@ to bob

Click Apply, click OK